The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-10-15
A FRONTIER TRAGEDY.
BY WILL. nlfnnARn-K ERNAN.

 pitiless as death. it sweeps down upon isolated farmsteads, destroying the labor of years and frequently burning the souls of men, women and children out of their bodies, leaving their bones to bleach unburied in the sun.
 One soft September day, while was living in Ncrthwood, Dakota, an old man came into our office for the purpose of having final proof pnb- lished in our paper.
 Il will soon be through with all these formalities concerning my claim" he said in triumphant tone, Questioned, he went on: al used to be we'll of, but my son got to spec ulating and lost. kept loaning him money with which to retrieve him self, until one morning awoke to find myself financially ruined. Old as was, l determined upon coming to Dakota, taking up claim and start ing life anew. left my family be- hind me until I could make them a suitable home rather than subject them to the hariships of the frontier in sod shanty. have made money since coming here, have just com pleted a pretty cottage, and this morning l sent for my wife and chil- dren. 'Tisn't often that I drink, boys, but I feel like having little jubilee to-day. Let's stroll down to the Last Chance and have tickler."
 Later in the day l saw the old man again. He was decidedly breezy by that time, but he mounted his horse and rode off with firm seat in the saddle. Unfortunately, however, he filled his flask with rum before he started-a fact that led up to tragic sequel.
 When night came I noticed that prairie fires were raging at every point of the compass. They sur rounded the town, and their red, pal pitant light painted hell upon the horizon.
 The following morning was murky, and mist rolled up from the bottom lands, making the whole world dim. And through tho murk and mist the prairie fire traced its awful autograph of flame.
 The morning train on the Manitoba line came in with puff and chatter and clang. A young man sprang from the smoking car to the platform. Our office was close by the depot. He came in, looked round with an uncer- tain air, and said:
 Do you know where Mir. B--- re- sides?"
 Mr. B. was the old man of whom have been speaking.
 "Yes," l replied, "his claim is on the left side of the Larimore road five miles out. He has handsome house, surrounded by trees," and l went into a detailed description of the place.
 Drifting deeper into conversation, the young man said Il have been out in Colorado and recently received a letter from my father telling me that he was preparing to send to New York for the balance of our family, and urging me to meet them here, but I presume they haven't come yet2"
 No; he sent for them yesterday"
 "Well, I must be going. Father will be glad to see me, and, as for my self, can hardly wait till meet him, for it is three years since l met him last"
 He went away with an eager, ex pectant light in his handsome eyes.
 Securing horse, he was soon rid ing at hard gallop up the Larimore road.
 On-on-Oni
 A sharp breeze sprung up and rolled the dense fog back like a scroll, re- vealing the level plain, and there there, there in the dim distance, he saw the house of his father, and just behind it.
 Great God!
 What was it he sawI The fire!
 It twists through the long gras, like glittering serpent.
 It creeps into a wheat field and leaps up into furious blaze that crackles to the sky.
 It surrounds the house, and out oi the smoke 1t darts a million red, forked mocking tongues.
 On-on-on!
 The wind of the fire smites and stings his face. He catches his breath in quick, short gasps. His horse stops in an agony of terror that throbs through every atom of its being. He plunges his spurs in its side. Vain. Ii refuses to go further. He dismounts and rushes forward on foot, but when he breaks through the gate and sets foot in the beautiful garden that fronts the house the flames leap at him-hissing, yengeful-like myriad fell, relentless reptiles. The smoke chokes, maddens, blinds him. He stumbies back, back - back - back, rooIe clufches iuray. af the al a nfI